As far as I know it's still in English even if you order it from Amazon in Germany. Thanks to Oliver Wunderlich for providing me the link.

For the moment, the book is available only as an electronic version and is being sold exclusively through Amazon. After 90 days, the ebook will be available from other retailers. There will be a printed version as well. I'm still waiting to see and approve the galleys on that. After the approval is done and it goes on sale, I'll let you know where you can order it. You should also be able to get the print version at stores, but you may have to ask for it. Again, I'll let you know once I know.

The book itself is a collection of articles I wrote for the old Sit Down and Shut Up website that I maintained from 2001 until maybe 2004 or so. These are some of my earliest writings about Zen. They're generally a lot snarkier and more acerbic than my more recent postings. It will be interesting to see how some of the people who like to say, "Brad was so much better before, he sucks now" will feel when they actually see some of that old stuff again.

The book contains such gems as "Zen is Punk," "Zen is Not Punk," "The Whole Vegetarian Thing," "Losing My Religion," "The Source of All Religion," "Explaining the Unexplainable" and many more blasts from the past.

In addition, I have written new introductions and afterwords to each of these pieces (of what?) as well as a new introduction and a new afterword for the book itself. How much more could you possibly want?

Although these pieces have previously appeared on the interwebs, I took them down ages ago. If they're still on line anywhere, I don't know how to find them. (And I really don't need any clever-trousers putting links to them in the comments section. Thank you!) So even if you've read some of this stuff before, it's not likely you've read it in the past eight years. Plus the new intros and afterwords talk about how I feel about what I said all those years ago, and nobody's read those before anywhere.

But...what would be really cool would be a new zen-book of the current "brad warner". You write a lot about how much you changed and wouldn't express Zen in the way you did 10 years ago. That leaves me wondering how do you actually think about zen now. I don't mean your opinion on some other guru etc. but really the basic stuff.

What I liked about hardcore zen when it came out was that it was fresh and right in your face. I had the impression that finally someone said things about Zen in a clear and fresh way, not just quoting zen-master XY from 1000 years ago who also just commented on Buddha XY 1500 years ago bla bla.

So write something about what Zen really is for you NOW. What's it all about finally? And how do you express it in daily life? What is Zazen for you and how's it different from meditation/mindfulnes for you? That would be interesting...of course you probably won't write "that's the truth motherfuckers!" anymore. But that doesn't matter, what I liked about it was that it was clear and in normal language, not that buddhist-style writings that make me gag while reading it...

Another thing is that I now have the impression that when you wrote hardcore-zen you've been in a little bit euphoric state maybe. And you had to shout out to the world how much JOY there is in everything etc. Would you say that this was kinda of a special state you were in at that time and now things have become much more less euphoric again for you? Maybe more balanced and realistic but also less "JOY!YEA!"?

So you FINALLY published an ebook. At 9.99 the price is a bit steep but you're going to be shocked at how much money you make relative to your "traditionally" published works.

I reckon you may never publish with a big house (or small house) again. I think the sweet spot for your book would be more along the lines of 4.99-6.99.

Currently you're pricing at 9.99 which is what traditional publishers do because of all their overhead and the fact that they want ebooks to be somewhat comparable to print. And that's why many of them will be going out of business soon.

"Those applying for this position must be able to lead an “Annual Giving effort” that raises approximately $600,000 a year in annual support. According to their blog, this includes “individual major gifts, membership, foundation support, mail appeals, special events and planned giving.”

Is 'planned giving' as opposed to the oh-to-hell-with-it-who-wants-to-spend-one's-life-savings-on-a-pink-Harley-Davidson-anyway-I'll give-it-all-to-a-load-of-people-who-sit-around-a-bit-and-then-chant sort of giving?

I had myself tipped for Director of Development of Dogen Sangha International before Brad overturned the gravy train and failed to have me capitalise on the spiritual leanings of all those impressionable old ladies.

Hey Uku, nice to see you here. Just one thing, could you please please stop adding those "Gudo Nishijima Peter Rocca Brad Warner Kodo Sawaki" Tags to your youtube-videos? When you search for any of those these days like:

." Would you say that this was kinda of a special state you were in at that time and now things have become much more less euphoric again for you? Maybe more balanced and realistic but also less "JOY!YEA!"?

Joy/euphoria can be entered at anymoment if you want it. Perhaps theego plays some part in that.

"I got my sensei card on the Brad Warner site. There are travel discounts, car rental discounts, free coupons for time-share presentations, and I am certified fully enlightened and able to pass the secret samyak-sambodhi mind to you, when you complete my eight week course through the internet. For registration please have your debit or credit card ready (sorry, no checks!), and click here.

if you are interested in "understanding" the non-dualism Stephen Batchelor (and Zen Buddhists) is talking about I'd recommend these talks (he'll use the word "chiasm" the intertwining = pratitya samutpada

additionally the Stephen Batchelor talks tie in well with Brad roshi's last post

"When you reach pure awareness you will have no problems"

and his pointing beyond dualism

"Enlightenment (I hate that word) isn't like pole vaulting 18 feet. It's more like walking to the bathroom, if we were to continue that analogy. Most people, instead of walking to the bathroom, which (let's say) just happens to be 18 feet away instead try to pole vault to the bathroom. And they can't do it because the ceiling is too low. Yet they try anyway and keep injuring themselves. The pole keeps breaking, they keep hitting their heads, they keep beating themselves up over not being able to do it, and they still have to pee. The only thing an enlightened person (I hate that term) does differently is that she walks straight to the bathroom, does her business and then goes back to bed."

I went and re-listened to the "Phenomenology of Meditation" talks thinking maybe I missed something or maybe he left something out, but it occurred to me that Fred said probably didn't listen to part two.

Wow.. I forgot how WEIRD that picture of Lee Harvey Oswald looks. Not a conspiracy theorist here, but... his freaking body is tilted at like 5 degrees! I can't even stand like that for 1 second! Hmmmmm...

Oh, and congrats Brad on the new book. I'll be getting a copy. Namaste!